Based and adapted from the book "Focus on IELTS" Sue O'Connell
Features of Academic Style for your Essays
1. Formal language (avoid using informal words and phrases, for example “telly”, “guys”) What to avoid: -informal words and expressions, for example “telly”, “guy” -abbreviations and contractions, for example they've , i.e, e.g -questions to the reader, for example How shocking is that? -overuse of personals such as personal pronouns “I”, “You”, possessive adjectives “My”, “Our” and the phrases “I think” and “In my opinion” -incomplete sentences, brackets Examples of formal words demonstrate (instead of "show") obtain (instead of "get") occur (instead of "happen") purchase (instead of "buy") respond (instead of "reply") conduct (insted of "carry out') locations (instead of "places") previous (instead of "earlier") 2. Passive constructions The North star was used as (instead of "People used the North Star as a navigation aid") 3. It-constructions It is thought that (instead of "Scientists think that volcanic eruptions may have destroyed dinosaurs" 4. Linkers-words and expressions that help to make your writing more organized and clear to the reader An exchange of smiles, in a shop or between a parent and child, for example, seems to be a simple act. However, within those individuals, a smile can have powerful physical and emotional effects such as a reduction in stress-related cardiovascular response. Furthermore, smiling creates a sense of trust and social wellbeing which spreads outward to others. Smiling may not solve the world’s problems, but it is the foundation of something that will outlast them, that is to say, the co-operative basis of human society.
Exercises:
1) Formality
1. Use more formal words with the same meaning The graph shows a decrease in smoking It is not easy to get research funding Most accidents happen between 8 and 10 pm Textbooks can be bought online We cannot reply to this e-mail The walking school bus idea originated in 1998 The present study was carried out In two rural and two urban places Compared with earlier generations The popularity of camera phones, has made it more and more tricky to prevent people from taking photos of things they shouldn’t record, e.g military equipment. But now there’s a system that can find out any camera phones and send out rays of light to mess up any pictures they take
2) The passive constructions
2. Rewrite the following as passive constructions
People used the North Star as a navigation aid You can even see Venus in the middle of the day They outlawed smoking in public places in 2003 Someone has found a new galaxy circling the Milky Way Researchers repeated the tests a year later They are testing a nasal spray which may cure Alzheimer’s disease
3) It-constructions
3. Change the following phrases to passive constructions with it
Most people agree that Scientists think that volcanic eruptions may have destroyed dinosaurs Nowadays we know that exercise can reverse many symptoms of ageing Researchers have found that sun bathing is addictive In the past people used to think that bed rest was goof for people with weak hearts Some people might argue that sending young offenders to jail is counterproductive
4) Linkers
4. Underline the main linking expressions in the test below.
There are two fundamental problems of knowledge at the centre of the book. First, we have the problem of induction that is the fact that although we are only able to observe a limited number of events, science nevertheless advances unrestricted universal statements. Second is the problem of demarcation, which demands a separating line between empirical science and non-science. This book makes a major contribution to the philosophy of science and is therefore essential reading for anyone interested in the field.
Features of Academic Style for your Essays
1. Formal language (avoid using informal words and phrases, for example “telly”, “guys”)What to avoid:
-informal words and expressions, for example “telly”, “guy”
-abbreviations and contractions, for example they've , i.e, e.g
-questions to the reader, for example How shocking is that?
-overuse of personals such as personal pronouns “I”, “You”, possessive adjectives “My”, “Our” and the phrases “I think” and “In my opinion”
-incomplete sentences, brackets
Examples of formal words
demonstrate (instead of "show")
obtain (instead of "get")
occur (instead of "happen")
purchase (instead of "buy")
respond (instead of "reply")
conduct (insted of "carry out')
locations (instead of "places")
previous (instead of "earlier")
2. Passive constructions
The North star was used as (instead of "People used the North Star as a navigation aid")
3. It-constructions
It is thought that (instead of "Scientists think that volcanic eruptions may have destroyed dinosaurs"
4. Linkers-words and expressions that help to make your writing more organized and clear to the reader
An exchange of smiles, in a shop or between a parent and child, for example, seems to be a simple act. However, within those individuals, a smile can have powerful physical and emotional effects such as a reduction in stress-related cardiovascular response. Furthermore, smiling creates a sense of trust and social wellbeing which spreads outward to others. Smiling may not solve the world’s problems, but it is the foundation of something that will outlast them, that is to say, the co-operative basis of human society.
Exercises:
1) Formality
1. Use more formal words with the same meaning
The graph shows a decrease in smoking
It is not easy to get research funding
Most accidents happen between 8 and 10 pm
Textbooks can be bought online
We cannot reply to this e-mail
The walking school bus idea originated in 1998
The present study was carried out
In two rural and two urban places
Compared with earlier generations
The popularity of camera phones, has made it more and more tricky to prevent people from taking photos of things they shouldn’t record, e.g military equipment.
But now there’s a system that can find out any camera phones and send out rays of light to mess up any pictures they take
2) The passive constructions
2. Rewrite the following as passive constructions
People used the North Star as a navigation aid
You can even see Venus in the middle of the day
They outlawed smoking in public places in 2003
Someone has found a new galaxy circling the Milky Way
Researchers repeated the tests a year later
They are testing a nasal spray which may cure Alzheimer’s disease
3) It-constructions
3. Change the following phrases to passive constructions with it
Most people agree that
Scientists think that volcanic eruptions may have destroyed dinosaurs
Nowadays we know that exercise can reverse many symptoms of ageing
Researchers have found that sun bathing is addictive
In the past people used to think that bed rest was goof for people with weak hearts
Some people might argue that sending young offenders to jail is counterproductive
4) Linkers
4. Underline the main linking expressions in the test below.
There are two fundamental problems of knowledge at the centre of the book. First, we have the problem of induction that is the fact that although we are only able to observe a limited number of events, science nevertheless advances unrestricted universal statements. Second is the problem of demarcation, which demands a separating line between empirical science and non-science. This book makes a major contribution to the philosophy of science and is therefore essential reading for anyone interested in the field.
Linking words in the context